46 Unconscious Memory 



" Life of Erasmus Darwin " showed any knowledge of 

 the facts. The Popular Science Review for January 1880, 

 in flat contradiction to Mr. Darwin's preface, said that 

 only part of Dr. Krause's article was being given by Mr. 

 Darwin. This reviewer had plainly seen both Kosmos and 

 Mr. Darwin's book. 



In the same number of the Popular Science Review, and 

 immediately following the review of Mr. Darwin's book, 

 there is a review of " Evolution, Old and New." The 

 writer of this review quotes the passage about mental 

 anachronism as quoted by the reviewer in the Pall Mall 

 Gazette, and adds immediately : " This anachronism has 

 been committed by Mr. Samuel Butler in a . . . little 

 volume now before us, and it is doubtless to this, which 

 appeared while his own work was in progress [italics mine], 

 that Dr. Krause alludes in the foregoing passage." Con- 

 sidering that the editor of the Popular Science Review and 

 the translator of Dr. Krause's article for Mr. Darwin are 

 one and the same person, it is likely the Popular Science 

 Review is well informed in saying that my book appeared 

 before Dr. Krause's article had been transformed into its 

 present shape, and that my book was intended by the 

 passage in question. 



Unable to see any way of escaping from a conclusion 

 which I could not willingly adopt, I thought it best to 

 write to Mr. Darwin, stating the facts as they appeared 

 to myself, and asking an explanation, which I would have 

 gladly strained a good many points to have accepted. 

 It is better, perhaps, that I should give my letter and Mr. 

 Darwin's answer in full. My letter ran thus : — 



January 2, 1880. 

 Charles Darwin, Esq., F.R.S., &c. 



Dear Sir, — Will you kindly refer me to the edition of 

 Kosmos which contains the text of Dr. Krause's article on 

 Dr. Erasmus Darwin, as translated by Mr. W. S. Dallas ? 



I have before me the last February number of Kosmos, 

 which appears by your preface to be the one from which Mr. 

 Dallas has translated, but his translation contains long and 



